Zack still sleeps in a crib. Granted I took the crib tent off and I lowered the front railing so it only comes up to his waist... but it's still a crib. And if I had my way he would be in that crib forever.

It's not because I'm afraid he'll come in with me, we co-slept for about 3 months when he was really little and then he went back to his bed. He likes his space and I like my space.

No, it's more about keeping him in his bed so he will actually GO to sleep. He is a talker, singer, bouncer at night and during nap times. He can be yawning and rubbing his eyes but he will still sit up there and talk to himself for a good 20 - 30 minutes.

Now imagine if you will, if he could get out of his bed at that time. He would never go to sleep!! :-)

So, for now a crib it is. Do you think his friends will tease him when he has sleep overs??

Well little girl fourteen I wish that you could seeThat beauty is within your heartAnd you were made with such care your skin your body and your hairAre perfect just the way they are

There could never be a more beautiful youDon’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump throughYou were made to fill a purpose that only you could doSo there could never be a more beautiful you

Little girl twenty-one the things that you’ve already doneAnything to get aheadAnd you say you’ve got a man but he’s got another planOnly wants what you will do instead

Well little girl twenty-one you never thought that this would comeYou starve yourself to play the partBut I can promise you there’s a man whose love is trueAnd he’ll treat you like the jewel you are

There could never be a more beautiful youDon’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump throughYou were made to fill a purpose that only you could doSo there could never be a more beautiful you

So turn around you’re not too farTo back away be who you areTo change your path go another wayIt’s not too late you can be saved

If you feel depressed with past regretsThe shameful nights hope to forgetCan disappear they can all be washed away

By the one who’s strong can right your wrongsCan rid your fears dry all your tearsAnd change the way you look at this big world

He will take your dark distorted viewAnd with His light He will show you truthAnd again you’ll see through the eyes of a little girl

There could never be a more beautiful youDon’t buy the lies disguises and hoops they make you jump throughYou were made to fill a purpose that only you could doSo there could never be a more beautiful you

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Monday, June 22, 2009

All last week on my way to work I noticed a black dress shoe on the side of the road from my house. All week I wondered to myself how exactly does one loose one shoe on the side of the road.

Then on Friday it was gone and a little ways further down the road had been replaced by a white tennis shoe.

Really?

These are the things I think about on my way to work. Why is that shoe there? How do you loose a single shoe? Wouldn't you notice it was missing and go back to try to find it? Is there a shoe lost and found somewhere for shoes found along the road?

Friday, June 19, 2009

A month ago I told my life story at an Al-anon meeting. You can read it over there (e-mail me if you have no idea what I'm talking about)... or at least part of it. I'm working on getting the rest of it up.

I have never felt more happy or more free in my life than I have in the last month. It's like a weight was lifted from me and I gave myself permission to let go of all of that stuff that was haunting me.

I have laughed more and had more fun in the last month than I think I have in the last 10 years.

Thursday, June 18, 2009

Last night I took Zack to his first swimming lesson. Well, technically it was his second swimming lesson but I had a concert on Monday night and totally spaced off on arranging for someone to take him to his first swimming lesson so check that one in the box for bad mommy. :-)

Anyhow, when I called about swimming lessons a couple of months ago they told me he would probably be in Level 1, so imagine my disappointment when I went to sign him up last month and was told that he was not yet 3 and so therefore would have to be in the toddler class unless I got permission from the director.

Lacking the ambition to attempt to track down the director and get permission for my kid, who switches back and forth between jumping in without a care in the world and clinging to me as if his life is ending, I just decided to suck it up and leave him in the toddler class. The class which requires the parents to get into the water with their kids. (Insert LONG... painful sigh right here....)

So, yesterday we arrived at class and I waited until the last possible minute before changing the both of us and heading into the water with him. I could tell right away that his comfort in the water was well above the other little ones and that this was going to be a REALLY long 6 weeks if I had to stay in this class.

It was basically free swim, parents and kids with the teachers coming around once and awhile and suggesting things you should work on with the kid to get them comfortable in the water. Luckily, it was pretty apparent to one of the teachers that Zack was already comfortable in the water and so she asked me if I thought he would get in the water without me. Absolutely.

And so, that is the story of how my 2 1/2 year old graduated from the toddler class to level one with the 3 and 4 year olds on his very first day. The Level 1 class was from 6:30 - 7:00 so he actually had two lessons last night and spent a full hour in the pool. (He slept VERY well last night)

But... the best part of all.... I don't have to get into the water for his Level 1 class!! Can I get a resounding Woo Hoo!! :-)

I was only there for like an hour and a half but it was nice to be in good company and have good laughs although really girls... I'm kind of wondering how you would treat me if you WEREN'T my friend.... :-)

Friday night Zack was up until 9:00 at my parent's house

Saturday he got my BIL and my sister up at 6:00 with a lovely rendition of the ABC's

I arrived at 9:30 to watch my nephew so they could go furniture shopping for a couple hours

They left at 10:15

They got back at 4:00

A couple hours my ASS!!

After they got back Zack decided to play in the dirt

And then the water

There was not a spot of exposed skin that was clean

I stripped him in their entry way and threw him in the shower at my parents house with explicit instructions... DON'T TOUCH ANYTHING!!

Friday, June 05, 2009

I think someone might have given me one before but I'm bad... I mean REALLY bad about getting these things up... mostly because I don't ever know who to name as passing the award on to. So... here are the rules....

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award, and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs that you’ve newly discovered. Remember to contact the bloggers to let them know they have been chosen for this award.

And here is me breaking the rules....

I'm going to update my blog links this weekend. If you are over there.... then I read you and in my book... YOU are a lovely blogger so feel free to consider that my notice that you have also been given this award!!

Two or three months ago the transmission went out on my car. Yeah... the car I just bought last Summer. It was under warranty so they fixed it and four days later.... (yeah... four days, no car) I got my car back.

While it was there I mentioned to them that I needed some coolant because my car seemed to be low on coolant. I ended up buying some from them and then proceeded to have to refill my coolant every 2 weeks, all the while thinking this is probably not normal, I should probably call them and get it back in..... but I didn't.... I just went about my day.....

Until Tuesday. On Tuesday I drove my car out of the driveway and headed for daycare and all of the sudden the check engine light came on... and then the automatic throttle light came on and then I freaked out a bit imagining myself as one of those people who's throttle sticks down and they are going 100 on the interstate with no way to stop their speeding car.

So, as soon as I dropped Zack off I got out the owner's manual and read exactly what that light meant. Feeling fairly confident that I would not, in fact be careening to my death while driving I headed straight for the dealership.

When I got out of the car he asked me what the issue was. Well... the check engine light is on, oh and the automatic throttle light was on, and it needs and oil change and oh yeah... it has been leaking coolant from somewhere for the last couple of months. (Thinking one had nothing to do with the other.)

I was wrong. My radiator had a hole in it. The check engine light came on because the coolant got too low. The automatic throttle light... possibly just a fluke. And then... once again... I was without a car. (Luckily only for one day)

Why does this stuff happen to me? (Jess you are not allowed to make comments about what kind of car or where I bought the car. I already realize the error of my ways... I can't change it now!! :-)

Thursday, June 04, 2009

On Sunday I took Zack to see his very first movie in the theater. I have been wanting to take him for awhile but there has been a serious lack of cartoon type movies in the theaters lately. So when I saw last week that Disney was releasing a new one I decided we would go.

Little did I know, they were releasing it in 3-D. ONLY 3-D. Now how in the world was I going to get my 2 year old to sit through an entire movie wearing 3-D glasses?

Unfortunately, by the time I realized it was in 3-D I had already asked him if he wanted to go and told him we would go on the weekend. I don't know what other two year olds are like but mine has the mind of an Elephant. This kid does not forget ANYTHING!!

On Saturday when I picked him up from my parent's house he asked if we were going to the big movie and then proceeded to cry when I told him not today. So, I lied... through my teeth and told him it was broken. Yup... definitely broken BUT... by tomorrow it would be fixed.

He seemed ok with that but first thing Sunday reminded me again that the movie wasn't broken any more. So I spent Sunday morning telling him he had to sit through the whole thing and wear glasses, like his sun glasses.

I had planned to take him to the 2:20 movie but when I went upstairs to wake him at 1:45 he told me he wanted to go later. Lo and behold... 2:35... Mommy I waked up!! I want to go to the big movie now!!

So I ended up taking him to the 4:15 show. He did AWESOME!! He sat in his own seat the whole time with his GIANT bug eyed glasses on.

He even entertained the theater with a few, "Wow... that was scary's", My kid... the comedian.

As soon as it was over, his first comment was I wanna watch it again. So I guess the next kids movie, I know where we will be.

Wednesday, June 03, 2009

About Me

My son and I live on a farm in Iowa with a menajarie of otheranimals. On a good day our life runs like a smooth three ringcircus. On a bad day one of the elephants escapes and chargesthe crowd. Please join us in our adventures, just watch whereyou step.